New York Treasures
[ 24 June 2009 ]
A few of my newest favourite places in New York City…
Relish // 225 Wythe Ave (between 3rd St & 4th St) // Brooklyn
Best for: a magical weekend brunch. How can I describe this to you? Relish is a diner from 1952 — think stainless steel diner car with original detailing — which was relocated to Brooklyn, adored & polished & totally restored for two full years, before being turned into the Relish we know & love today. There’s a low counter with a line-up of bar stools, an outside garden full of roses & big blue umbrellas, great tunes (Bauhaus!) & good coffee. Bonus points if you get there by riding across the Brooklyn bridge on a perfect day on the back of a 1968 Triumph Bonneville…
A Salt & Battery // 112 Greenwich Ave (between 12th St & Jane St) // Manhattan
Best for: fantastic fish & chips, a selection of British soft drinks, & to top it all off, the pièce de résistance — a magnificent fried Mars Bar. The people who work here are actually British, accents & all, so if you’re from somewhere in the realms of the Commonwealth & are feeling a bit homesick, it’s a good place to go. For me it felt like I was in an episode of Eastenders which was just as good. It is truly delicious, just as good as what I’m used to in New Zealand, which sets a pretty high bar. But beware, A Salt & Battery is not the cheap, easy fare you’re expecting — my beau & I ran up a total of $36US for two pieces of fish, one scoop of chips, a pie & two deep-fried Mars Bars. But hey. When you want fish & chips, you want fish & chips. There’s no point in arguing. Just pull out your wallet & take it like a man.
Mama’s Food Shop // 200 E 3rd St (between Avenue A & Avenue B) // Manhattan
Best for: sating those rare cravings for a home-cooked meal. I find that I don’t often want that, but when I do, I better get it. Mama’s is amazing — the roast chicken is tender & packed with flavour, the mashed potatoes & gravy are fantastic, the green vegetables are crisp & the servings are enormous. It’s cheap, too — two huge pieces of roast chicken with a side is only $11 — & if you can finish it, I’ll be amazed. Good times.
Cafecito // 185 Avenue C (between 11th St & 12th St) // Manhattan
Best for: bollos, sweet midnight French toast, & a relaxed start to the weekend. (I say relaxed because they don’t open until 11am, so you hyper-achievers will have to go elsewhere!) They do fantastic sandwiches too, with this insane garlic mayonnaise that awes me every time. Note: they don’t take credit cards, but there is an ATM either side of the restaurant, so it’s certainly not the end of the world.
MUD // 307 E. 9th Street (between 1st Ave & 2nd Ave) // Manhattan
Best for: huge mugs of coffee, great atmosphere, good music & delicious food. I almost always get the Mudman Panini & a massive soy mocha, it’s good for what ails you. The space is skinny but they have an outdoor area at the back which you should try to get seated in if you can. It’s a fantastic place to gather strength in the morning or early afternoon before an all-day shopping spree!
Crif Dogs // 113 Saint Marks Pl // Manhattan
Best for: gourmet hot dogs. (Yes, they exist!) My favourite is the Chihuahua — a bacon-wrapped hot dog with avocado, sour cream & salsa (the salsa is optional but it is some of the best I have ever tasted). They are delicious & evil all at the same time, please don’t eat there more than once a week at the very most. Crif Dogs is a cute little unassuming place down a short flight of stairs, but it holds a secret. Yes. The phone-box on the left is the entrance to PDT, a hidden speakeasy next door. You’re welcome.
Black Iron Burger Shop // 540 East 5th Street (between Avenue A & Avenue B) // Manhattan
Best for: fantastic burgers with horseradish cheese, serious milkshakes & good tunes (Elvis Presley mixed with New Order mixed with Chuck Berry, anyone?). The Dish & I had a good time here, sitting up high at a table on the side, munching away delightedly. It’s small & dark, they show sports on the television & sometimes the waitress is a bit slow & inattentive (some would say “laid-back”), but it’s worth it, because damn do they do a good burger.
Cadillac’s Castle // 333 E 9th St (between 1st Ave & 2nd Ave) // Manhattan
Best for: good condition vintage designer clothing that won’t break the bank. Cadillac’s is a combination of gently-worn & brand spanking new clothing, all expertly chosen & extremely tempting. By the way, when I say labels, I mean labels. Missoni, DVF, Prada, Balenciaga — you name it, they have it. Did I mention the prices are incredible?! You should definitely check this place out. P.S. Cadillac — the shop dog — is as much of a sweetheart as the owner.
Fabulous Fanny’s // 335 E 9th St (between 1st Ave & 2nd Ave) // Manhattan
Best for: specs that stand out. Prove Dorothy Parker (she of “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses” fame) wrong with a miraculous pair of blinkers that will have the mens (or womens) a-runnin’. Towards you. Not away from you. I LOVE THIS STORE. The staff are so friendly & the selection is truly mind-boggling. They’ll help you find a way to channel your inner Elton John or Woody Allen tout de suite. The frames are very reasonably-priced & they’ll even direct you to a place in Chinatown to get your prescription filled in under an hour. RAD.
Butter Lane // 123 E 7th St (between 1st Ave & Avenue A) // Manhattan
Best for: pick-&-mix cupcakes on the go. When my friend & I walked in, we stared at the blackboard, confused, but here’s how it works: you pick the kind of cake you want, & then the kind of frosting. They’ll frost your cupcake (oh, you) on the spot. So you can be as ridiculous (banana cake with espresso frosting?) or tasteful (chocolate cake with raspberry frosting?) with your flavour combinations as you like. They’re no Sugar Sweet Sunshine (oh, my love), but if you’re in the East Village & craving a sugar fix, hit them up. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Ninth Street Espresso // 700 E 9th St (between Avenue C & Avenue D) OR 341 E 10th St (between Avenue A & Avenue B) // Manhattan (+ other locations)
Best for: a coffee-drenched religious experience. The space is clean & minimal with a beautiful, shiny tin roof, & while the food selection is sparse, the coffee comes in enormous cups & is beyond description. I have never had a better cup of coffee & I have dated multiple coffee snobs so I know what I’m talking about. It is perfect every time, they have free wifi & sometimes you’ll see me sitting inside tapping away on my MacBook. Holla.
The Standard Grill // 848 Washington St (between Little W 12th St & 13th St) // Manhattan
Best for: a fabulous meal in a comfortable but opulent setting. I went along to the friends & family tastings before the restaurant opened officially, & have not yet had the opportunity to go back, but in the three short hours I spent there (!), it quickly established itself as one of my favourite places in New York City. The staff are friendly & while the décor is extremely well thought-out & implemented, the place still has a relaxed feel. We sat in a cozy curved booth & I would recommend that over a table any day. My favourite things on the menu are the chicken liver pâté, million dollar roast chicken, mojitos & the warm chocolate brownie with toasted marshmallows. Oh boy.
Obscura Antiques // 280 E 10th St (between 1st Ave & Avenue A) // Manhattan
Best for: all things creepy & bizarre. Don’t be put off by the fact that they have “antiques” in the name — though this would normally signify an expensive selection, somehow Obscura manages to be sanely-priced. For example, my friend Tim Kern bought half a taxidermied bear here for $650… & they’re very sweet in there. They gave me an old red hardcover copy of Dracula with a bite missing from the spine (!!!) just because they liked the cut of my jib. It’s a great place to go if you love digging through an assortment of taxidermy, strange bottles, tools, hats & madness.
Galleria Nail Salon // 520 E 11th St (between Avenue A & Avenue B) // Manhattan
Best for: the world’s most relaxing & simultaneously OCD mani/pedi. Usually when you go to get your nails done, it doesn’t matter what you pay, you always feel a degree of going-through-the-motions, you always wish they would spend more time massaging your feet & that the polish was just a little bit more meticulously-applied. Well, at Galleria, they don’t rush anything. (Understatement: my standard mani/pedi took three hours here.) They put slices of lemon, drops of lavender oil & crystals in the foot-bath, play The Beatles & Nina Simone, & give you delicious green tea with brown rice (I love it & usually green tea is not my thing) as well as Hershey’s Kisses. Too good. Devote your afternoon & be amazed.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Tags: consumption,
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I’m a little surprised by the lack of a vegan place or two on this list (unless I just missed them)! There are a couple of places in NYC that I’ve been dying to try (one in Brooklyn, not sure about the others), but it hasn’t worked out yet.
I’ll have to check out all of these!
Leah Creates — Most of these are places the Dish has taken me, & he isn’t vegan :D There are a bunch of great places which are that I go to all the time, though, like Red Bamboo & of course Pure Food & Wine!
This post got me so excited! I’m moving to NYC in 2 months, so I can’t wait to check these places out. They all seem pretty awesome!
This has made me want to go to NY so badly. My dad goes there for buisness quite a bit so maybe i’ll stowaway in his suitcase and just shop and eat cupcakes while he’s at his meetings. hehe, oh to be small enough to fit in a suitcase. xx
Oh! I’m going to NYC for a YouTube Gathering in 2 weeks and I’ll HAVE to stop by a few of these places before I head home! YAY!
p.s. You should come join the 400-500 people from YouTube who are gathering in Central park on 7/11! it’s gonna be fun! (and I’m wearing my homemade Tutu! SQUEE!)
Oooh, along the lines of the awesome-looking Obscura Antiques, there’s the most fantastic place in SoHo called Evolution, and you can even order some of their stuff at theevolutionstore.com. But of course, nothing beats hanging out there in person, browsing the jarred fetuses!
you must check out Valley Nails!!!
valleynyc.com/
Aw, what a brilliant guide! Definitely something to save for when I eventually make my way over to New York.. it all sounds absolutely perfect :)
Gala -I thought you were a vegan or vegetarian?
crackalicious — Nope.
I will be spending the summer in the East Village, so this article comes at the perfect time! I am most excited to check out Galleria.
I agree with Leah Creates — a vegetarian/vegan supplement to this list would be most helpful! As a gal who is trying to go veggie and eat healthily, all on a budget, I would really appreciate some suggestions.
Lovely as always, Gala!
I loved Obscura when I was there last month. I got the hubby a t-shirt from there. It’s so tiny but jam packed with stuff!
love the list! i swear, that diner looks divine.
Wa-hey! This sounds fantastic! Fish and Chips! Roast Dinner! Cupcakes! Yes!
I like this list a lot. I’d love to visit New York soon. I was just in Florida for Disney magic so I’ll have to save up!
LOVE ninth street espresso, oh my god. the summer i spent in new york, i would always go to the tompkins square dog park to look at yuppie dogs and then go to ninth street for delicious delicious coffee. and sugar sweet is definitely the best cupcake place in the city, you’ve done your homework.
THIS is awesome. I will keep this in mind the next time I’m in town. Great job!
oh my gosh, this is so perfect. i’m going to manhattan with my mom on friday for a long weekend, and we were looking for places to go, so you your timing is great. what a happy coincidence!
Ahh this is great, I’ll have to check out some of these places! I have a recommendation for you as well: Caravan of Dreams on 405 East 6th St in the East Village. It has pretty delicious vegan & raw food, & amazing dessert!
First off, these places are so interesting and crazy they seem like they could be totally made up!
Secondly, I might actually be going to NYC this summer, since my brother(&his lovely girlfriend) go there regularly.
Going to defintively check these places out.
I love Obscura!
I remember when I first saw it, I was doing a project for school about “weird” things to do in NYC and just chanced upon this little treasure. I haven’t been there in ages, may have to pop in now.
Also, best FREE meal in NYC? Sundays in Tompkins Square Food Not Bombs serves vegan/vegetarian food starting at around 3 or 4pm. If you want to volunteer, they meet at ABC No Rio (156 Rivington) at 1pm.
Or you can hit up Rubulad in Brooklyn (338 Flushing Ave) for Grub, a freegan diner every other Sunday around 7 or 8. BYOB and donations are always appreciated, but not required. Interesting people abound, and you are surrounded by all the great decorations from past parties!
Check a video on grub here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4eOSA…
I love Obscura Antiques, I’m glad someone else shares me appreciation for the totally creepy.
Obscura Antiques sounds amazing!! That would be super excellent to have a copy of Dracula with a bite out of the spine!!
thanks for sharing! i will add these to my list next time i’m in the city.
mama’s… oooh, deeeeelicious mama’s! i always have to share a plate when i’m there. who can finish all of that???
here’s a recommendation: the cottage.. there’s one on the upper east side.. 96 and lex i think…
but i always go to the one on the west side…
77th and amsterdam (NW corner)... cheap chinese food with FREE wine at dinner (lots o refills too!) :) central park is literally around the corner.
deeelicious food, getting tipsy, riding bikes around the park… one of my happy places in the city! (amongst other places, of course)
I heart you so much Gala! I’m moving to New York pretty soon and I’ve never been before, so this guide is very helpful! :D Thanks so much!
i like that mug shot (no pun intended).
Dress Launderette
I LOVE A Salt & Battery, we went there after seeing it on Throwdown with Bobby Flay.
It made me even happier to see Ed Westwick sitting on the exact seat I sat on there in a camera magazine ad. Almost as if my arse had a six degree seperation situation with his arse haha.
The tea store next to it is a great score for us Commonwealth folk (I’m an aussie) feeling homesick too.
Thanks for these suggestions! I’ll pass them along to my friends who live in New York. :)
These are great suggestions, and I just love the photographs.
I’ll definitely have to check some of these places out! I’m in NY for the summer, and I keep hoping to spot you on the street (my skirt today was DIY’d from a bright turquoise bedsheet covered in rainbows and elephants, I know you would have approved!), but no wonder- I’m always around Soho + midtown and you’re all the way over in East Village! I’ll have to hop over sometime :) btw, you should check out Tokio Joe’s if you like Cadillac’s Castle. My favorite little (and I mean little!) consignment shop ever.
$36 US for fish n chips! And I thought $12 NZ was getting up there. I suppose I’d pay that much if I ordered fish n chips at a pub though. Heck I’d pay that much just to eat in a place called A Salt & Battery!
Wowz… I. Can. Not. Wait.
Until I move to NYC!
That day cannot come soon enough!
Hi Gala,
Why do you use British spelling? “favourite” could just be Canadian but I’ve noticed you also do “paralysed” and “organised”. is that how they do it in New Z?
Love your blog!
=)
THAAAAAAAAAAAANKS, this is awesome! I was actually thinking about asking you an article of your favourite NY things!! I’m planning on going on January with a friend (SO EXCITED!!), so this can’t be better! :)
Damn!! I need to go to NY!!! Your descriptions of the awesome food has made me reconsider my next trip!
tj, British spelling is the way us in the colonies were taught to spell – we put u’s after o’s where you wouldn’t put them and we spell things like center as centre. I think NZ and Australia clung a little tighter to their English background than other commonwealths x L
beautiful pics of New york. I like the second one. the finger and cups. give people the space to thinking. Thanks for ur sharing.
Hell yes- great list girlie, and just as I decided for certain that I’m coming to NYC in September! I can’t wait! I love Obscura- one of my favorite places. I can’t wait to try all of these!
I live in Melbourne
oh my god. i have to stop myself from going to butter lane on a daily basis. INCREDIBLE.
xx
C’mon Gala, nothing free to do here?
Though I do hold a special place in my heart for Mud coffee (+ the Mud Truck!)
@ Leah, I second another poster’s suggestion for Red Bamboo, it’s incredibly delicious. And I also highly recommend Wild Ginger in Williamsburg for good Vegan fare.
@ j_bot: Another Rubulad’er! I haven’t been to Grub or a Rubulad party in awhile, but I always have such a wonderful time there.
PS. To anyone interested in Freeganism, there’s a freegan walking tour this Friday starting at Union Square, highlighting the best places to get free food that’s discarded by restauraunts and stores.
Thanks Gala! I’m going to be in NY in a little over a month, and I don’t know anyone or where anything is so any insider tips are appreciated. ;)